Inside the city.
Before an ordinary-looking inn.
Carriages and pedestrians filled the streets. A dense crowd of martial artists surrounded the place three layers deep, yet they remained remarkably orderly. For these northern men who lived by the blade, it was practically unbelievable.
Yet they all shared one trait: anxious faces as they stared toward the small courtyard behind the inn, practically craning their necks in anticipation.
Inside the inn, the proprietor and his attendants wore mixed expressions of joy and worry.
They were pleased because ever since those martial arts masters had taken up residence, business in the surrounding area had exploded, bringing in money by the bucketful each day.
But they were also worried. If those lords started fighting and they were caught in the crossfire, a single stray blow could cost them their lives.
Their feelings were truly too complicated to describe.
"Golden Dragon Sect, you've gone too far! I was clearly here first!"
A conflict suddenly erupted within the crowd.
"Cough, cough... Sage Uchiha's arrival is a tremendous opportunity for us all... cough, cough... He has stated that anyone with something to his liking may exchange it for a chance to seek medical treatment, ask for medicine, or receive guidance... What treasures does your Jade Kun Lineage possess that could catch a fallen immortal's eye?"
The speaker was the Golden Dragon Sect's master, Hundred Illness Scholar. Though his voice lacked strength and he looked perpetually sickly, no one dared underestimate him.
After all, he ranked near the top of the Heroes List and was a renowned expert of the northern lands!
"Enough!"
At that moment, one of the seated martial artists spoke. "What kind of behavior is this, shouting and making a scene? If you disturb the fallen immortal, you will make enemies of every martial